My spy diary

Chapter 553 The World Is About to Change (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Under the bright light, Zhang Yi and his group walked towards him.

Li Mulin scrutinized him for a few moments, then looked surprised: "Director Xiao, you're also a Japanese spy?"

Only then did he realize that the man was Xiao Rui, the director of the war zone's confidential office.

Xiao Rui looked up and smiled meaningfully.

Li Mulin shouted, "You stray dog, why don't you surrender?"

Xiao Rui chuckled coldly twice, slowly straightened up, swiftly pointed his gun at Zhang Yi, and roared furiously, "Die!"

Before he could finish speaking, the monkey, who had been watching him closely, fired a shot first.

After the gunshot, Xiao Rui fell to the ground, clutching his wrist. The other plainclothes officers rushed over, pinned him down, and handcuffed him.

Xiao Rui still laughed arrogantly: "Zhang Yi, kill me then. I may have lost, but the agents of the Great Japanese Empire are endless. You Chinese can forget about it."

"Shut up!" The plainclothes officer who had pinned him down saw that he still dared to be so arrogant, so he immediately started punching and kicking him, pulled off the socks of the dead man next to him, and used them to gag his foul mouth before taking him away.

Looking at the pile of Japanese spy corpses on the ground, Zhang Yi frowned and said, "Clean up the battlefield, verify everyone's identity, find out their hidden identities, and search their homes."

"Yes." Li Mulin accepted the order and summoned several plainclothes officers to give instructions.

Station Chief Cui Fangping sat in his office, seemingly calmly flipping through documents.

Secretary Liu rushed in to report: "Station Chief, the gunfire has stopped."

"I understand." Cui Fangping waved his hand, looking somewhat distracted.

He was sound asleep at home when he was startled awake by the sudden gunfire and hurriedly drove to the station.

After making a phone call, I learned that it wasn't thugs causing trouble, but rather Japanese spies attacking the safe house in the station.

Cui Fangping was first puzzled, then annoyed. He had no idea that Zhang Yi and Li Mulin had moved the captured Japanese spies to the safe house, and they hadn't even informed him beforehand. This made him furious. Was he, the station chief, just a figurehead in the eyes of Zhang and Li?

But what can be done?
Putting aside Zhang Yi, even compared to Li Mulin, he was ultimately an outsider. Aside from cursing the two of them in his heart, he was utterly helpless.

Later, when he heard that people from the Military Police Headquarters had gone to the scene, his resentment turned into envy and jealousy. Although he didn't know how many Japanese spies attacked the safe house, he figured there must be quite a few. It was clearly a battle of annihilation that he had "commanded with composure," and he was supposed to be rewarded with honors today. But in the end, it had nothing to do with him. How infuriating!

"Station Chief, Director Zhang and Deputy Station Chief Li are back." Secretary Liu rushed in again, closed the door and reported, "They all look very happy; it seems they've had a great time."

Station Chief Cui seemed distracted, asking without looking up, "Is anyone injured?"

"Maybe not."

"Oh." Station Master Cui then stood up, slowly straightened his clothes, and said with his hands behind his back:

"Let's go and have a look."

Zhang Yi, Li Mulin, and others walked over, surrounded by arrogant plainclothes officers, with a hooded man being escorted behind them.

Along the way, the on-duty office staff kept peeking out, their eyes filled with envy.

Just as I reached the stairwell, I encountered Cui Fangping, who was pacing leisurely, bringing his secretary, Liu.

"You're back?" Cui Fangping smiled broadly and said, "Director Zhang, as expected of someone from headquarters, has been working tirelessly since assassinating Yoshikawa Teisuke and other Japanese spy chiefs. He uncovered an internal traitor, captured the local Japanese spy agency chief, and then followed the clues to arrest Guan Ayue and his wife. Tonight, he wiped out all the hidden Japanese spies in one fell swoop. He has truly boosted the prestige of our Military Intelligence Bureau. Compared to Director Zhang, I, Cui, have accomplished nothing except for my advanced age. I am truly ashamed and embarrassed!"

Zhang Yi glanced at him and laughed, "Station Chief Cui, you flatter me. Tonight, we were able to wipe out the Japanese spies in one fell swoop thanks to Deputy Station Chief Li's decisive command, the hard work of all the field agents in the Yu Station action team, not to mention the strong support from the Military Police Headquarters. It was only through their efforts that we were able to take them by surprise and annihilate them in one fell swoop. I, Zhang, merely succeeded because of the people who helped us."

"Director Zhang is far too modest." Cui Fangping shook his head, looking at Xiao Rui, who was being escorted, with a puzzled expression. "Who is he?"

Li Mulin smiled meaningfully: "This is a big fish."

"A big fish?" Cui Fangping became even more curious.

Secretary Liu, standing behind him, was filled with apprehension and uncertainty. After all, he was the one who had leaked the address of the safe house. At this moment, his biggest fear was that there might be a survivor. If this person couldn't withstand the torture and confessed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. He took a deep breath, suppressed his fear, and said to Station Chief Cui:

"Station Chief, shall we invite Director Zhang and Deputy Station Chief Li to your office for a cup of tea first, and then discuss the details?"

“Alright, alright. Director Zhang, Deputy Station Chief Li, you must be tired. I happen to have some good tea. Please step aside and have some to soothe your throats before we talk in detail. I’m quite curious about tonight’s events,” Cui Fangping said solicitously.

Zhang Yi and Li Mulin exchanged a glance, did not refuse, and agreed. They then ordered the plainclothes officers to take Xiao Rui away first, and, along with Monkey and Qian Xiaosan, followed Cui Fangping to his office.

As they approached the office, Secretary Liu, with a fawning expression, whispered something to Station Chief Cui in front of Zhang Yi and the others.

Cui Fangping slapped his forehead, as if suddenly realizing something, and said with a smile to Zhang Yi and the others:

"Director Zhang, Mu Lin, look at me, if Secretary Liu hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten to ask the general affairs department to prepare some food for you. It was a real oversight." He paused, then instructed Secretary Liu:
"Have the general affairs department prepare some food right away." He then looked apologetically at Zhang Yi, "Director Zhang, this is just a simple meal for now. At noon, I'll have the chef from Cuixianglou come over and cook a proper local specialty meal to welcome you back."

Zhang Yi glanced meaningfully at Secretary Liu: "Secretary Liu is too thoughtful." Then, smiling, he said to Cui Fangping:
"Station Chief Cui, you're too kind. We can talk about welcoming you tomorrow. We've already eaten dinner tonight, so we're not hungry right now. Why don't you try your tea first?"

"Alright, Secretary Liu, quickly make some tea." Cui Fangping didn't notice anything unusual, but Zhang Yi's glance felt like a knife stabbing into Secretary Liu's heart. Already feeling guilty, his chest pounded and his forehead and palms were sweating.

"Yes." Secretary Liu answered in a tight voice, then quickly opened the office door and went to tidy up the tea set.

Just then, Zhang Yi stopped in his tracks.

"Director Zhang?"

Zhang Yi smiled and said, "Station Chief Cui, I'd like to have some tea, but before that, there's something I need to tell you."

"what?"

Zhang Yi stepped forward, lowered his voice, and said, "The premise for the Japanese to attack the safe house is that they knew its address, but how did they know? After thinking about it, there's only one possibility: a leak." Cui Fangping became wary: "You mean, there's an inside man?"

"Of course, there is solid evidence."

"who is it?"

Zhang Yi took a step back and said expressionlessly, "Then we'll have to ask Secretary Liu."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Monkey and Qian Xiaosan rushed into the office and tackled Secretary Liu, who was eavesdropping, to the ground.

Seeing this, Cui Fangping's expression changed drastically. He also took two steps back, his right hand gripping the pistol at his waist. His gaze swept suspiciously over Li Mulin, then fixed intently on Zhang Yi:

"Director Zhang, what are you trying to do?"

Zhang Yi remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "Let Deputy Station Chief Li explain."

Various thoughts flashed through Cui Fangping's mind. He stared intently at Li Mulin, his eyes filled with horror, gripping his pistol tightly, and coldly questioned:

"Deputy Director Li, what do you mean?"

"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext." What he feared most at this moment was that Li Mulin was audacious enough to secretly make some kind of deal with Zhang Yi, first framing his secretary as an inside man, and then implicating him until he was brought down so that he could take his place.

"Like a wolf from Zhongshan, once it gains power, it becomes arrogant and audacious!"

A barely perceptible hint of disdain flashed in Li Mulin's eyes as he cleared his throat and said:
"Station Chief Cui is overthinking it. Secretary Liu is your confidant. If the evidence wasn't conclusive, I wouldn't dare to lay a hand on him."

Then, he looked at Station Chief Cui and recounted in detail how Secretary Liu had been exposed.

"If it weren't for Director Zhang's foresight and my vigilance in making emergency arrangements, we really wouldn't have been able to catch this traitor. If he hadn't been exposed, we would have been the ones who died tonight, not the Japanese spy. Of course, I believe he did this behind the station chief's back."

With witnesses and physical evidence, the evidence was irrefutable. Cui Fangping heard the undeniable conviction in Li Mulin's words, stared at him intently for a few moments, slowly released his grip on the pistol, and asked, word by word:
"Is everything you said true?"

"Every word is true!"

"Sigh, why is this happening?" Cui Fangping sighed deeply, walking into the office with a gloomy face. "Secretary Liu, Secretary Liu, you traitor! I've treated you well all these years, why would you do such a thing behind my back?"

Secretary Liu is 26 years old this year. He graduated from the 16th class of the Central Military Academy. Immediately after graduation, he became Cui Fangping's secretary and can be considered his confidant.

Upon hearing Cui Fangping's question, he remained silent for a moment. Knowing that his scheme had been exposed and he was doomed, he struggled to raise his head, meeting Cui Fangping's gaze directly, and said in a miserable voice:
"Why? What's the point of saying anything now? I'll take responsibility for my actions. Do whatever you want with me! I only beg you to spare my family for the sake of my loyalty to the Party and the country, so they won't be implicated."

"One person does the deed, one person takes the blame? Hmph, can you even take the blame? How could I have used a traitor like you? Even if I were to raise a cat or dog, I would have done it to the end. Forget about gratitude, shouldn't we at least have some conscience? Why did you do this behind my back? Tell me, what benefits did the Japanese promise you?" Cui Fangping's face was unusually gloomy, and he gritted his teeth. The more Secretary Liu refused to speak, the more he wanted to force him to explain. He wanted to make it clear that this whole thing was done behind his back and had nothing to do with him.

"Stationmaster, don't push me!"

"Shameless! How did I force you?" Cui Fangping was furious and slapped Secretary Liu hard across the face, shouting, "If you don't confess honestly, I'll kill you."

"Station Chief, calm down! Let's talk this out!" Seeing Cui Fangping draw his gun again, Li Mulin quickly stepped forward to stop him, glaring at Secretary Liu and saying, "If you don't confess honestly, I'll bring your family here, hmph!"

"No!" Secretary Liu, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, was forced to kneel on the ground, his head held high, staring fearfully at Li Mulin. After a moment of silence, he said:

"Director Zhang, Deputy Station Chief Li, a dying man's words are often wise. The reason I secretly colluded with the Japanese spy was truly out of necessity! If that man hadn't repeatedly pressured me, how would I have dared to betray the Party and the country? But he has something on me, and if I don't do as he says, the station chief will find out, and I will also face death. To survive, I had no choice but to take this desperate gamble."

Hearing this, Li Mulin became even more curious, completely ignoring Cui Fangping's dark face, and pressed him for an answer:

"What handle?"

Secretary Liu lowered his head, a complex look flashing in his eyes, and said, "...Somehow, people found out about my affair with the stationmaster's concubine, Mansheng."

"You're spouting nonsense!" These words seemed to have struck Cui Fangping's Achilles' heel. He froze for a moment, then suddenly roared wildly.

According to military law, officers who take concubines are guilty of adultery and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year.

Of course, where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure. Due to social trends, unspoken rules in officialdom, and legal loopholes, many generals who took concubines never faced any real punishment.

However, there are always exceptions. If this matter falls into the hands of political enemies and is exposed, it will inevitably be severely punished.

Cui Fangping's madness excited Li Mulin even more, and he eagerly asked, "Mansheng? Who is she?"

"Enough, you bastard! You dare to slander me even when you're about to die!" Veins bulged on Cui Fangping's forehead, and his veins throbbed. He gritted his teeth, drew his pistol, and was about to shoot Secretary Liu dead.

"Calm down, stationmaster, calm down, listen to me first." Li Mulin held him back tightly.

Cui Fangping's eyes turned red. He gritted his teeth and pressed the gun against Li Mulin's forehead: "Let go!"

Li Mulin braced himself and gave a meaningful look: "Station Chief, now that things have come to this, shouldn't you excuse yourself?"

"Avoid what? What do I have to avoid?"

"Enough!" Zhang Yi interrupted the two men with displeasure. "What time is it? Still fighting amongst yourselves? It's shameful!" He pointed at Secretary Liu and ordered Monkey and Qian Xiaosan to take him away. "I will personally interrogate this man. Right and wrong will be judged by public opinion. No one will be wronged."

After saying that, he gave the two of them a cold look, then turned and left.

“I agree, Director Zhang will make all the decisions,” Li Mulin said first.

"Cough cough cough," Cui Fangping coughed violently a few times, his ashen face staring intently at Li Mulin for a while, then he put away his pistol, walked to his office chair without a word and sat down. In an instant, he looked much older.

Li Mulin stared at the chair under his buttocks for a few moments, a smile appearing on his lips, before turning and leaving as well.

The commotion in Cui Fangping's office was quite loud, and since it was late at night, most of the office staff, both internal and external, heard the noise and shouting. They were wondering what had happened when they saw Monkey and Qian Xiaosan escorting a bruised and swollen Secretary Liu out. They were even more astonished and terrified. Groups of them huddled together, whispering and exchanging bewildered glances.

Of course, some astute individuals have already realized that things are about to change at Yuzhou Station.

(End of this chapter)